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6th May 2008
Backgammon in Camden
56 Entries, 8 Tournaments, 38 Players, £1880 Prize Fund,
Peter Bennet wins Jackpot.
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Because it was two weeks since the previous event and due to it
being spring so the terrace tables could be again without players
freezing to death I was expected a bumper turn out. However I
omitted to remember that this Tuesday would follow a long bank
holiday weekend so many players had a night at home. Even so we
had 38 players attend and thus we had a good evening of
backgammon.
As is the norm now we kicked off the first £10 entry tournament
before 7.00pm and had 5 entries. Phil Churton usually plays in T1
or T2 but had to be away early this evening so elected to play in
the first £10 in the hope that he would be away by 9.00pm. So of
course Madame Fate decided to draw Phil as player 5 and hence
waiting for an opponent. Ce la vie was Phil attitude.
At 7.00pm we had 15 players interested in playing for at least £25
so this promised to be an interesting series of
Camden Auctions. It was only at
£110 that we were reduced to 8 players for T1. Auction 2 commenced
with the 7 that dropped out of Auction 1 plus some late arrivals
making it up to 14 interested. It was at £65 that we were reduced
to 8 players for T2. Auction 3 commenced with the 6 that dropped
out of Auction 2 plus 1 late arrival making it up to 7 interested.
So we started T3 with 7 players at £25 and with a spare seat
available to the next interested player which was grabbed a few
minutes later. More £10er entries were taken, some re-entries were
taken and by 7.30pm we had everybody bar 1 backgammon active.
In amongst all that kafuffle of sorting players into the
tournament they wanted to be in we had a new to Bg in London
player. A visitor from Italy. A Gentleman much respected in at
least the backgammon world and I should imagine in other walks of
life too. The man that will be running the
20th European Backgammon Championship
as of this weekend in Velden, Austria. Marco Fornasir. He’s most
certainly a lively chap as I came to learn on this evening in
Camden. He popped up in front of the TD desk just after Auction 1
had started. As such it was too late for Marco to enter this but I
explained that there would be another Auction that he could enter
after this one was completed. He duly entered Auction 2 but
dropped out soon after it went over £25. So he was placed in
Auction 3, the entry fee didn’t climb over £25 so he got to play
for the £25 he had always intended to.
Things didn’t go well for Marco in his first match so he entered
T5, a £10er. Marco played Pana behind me but the darker area
didn’t diminish the batter or cries of anguish as Marco’s dice
would not work for him. Marco was playing emotional backgammon –
I’m sure his events must be a lot of fun. He’s not one to give up
either – next Marco took the last slot in T6, another £10er. His
opponent, Simon Morecroft, had an excellent run of results in 2007
but 2008 is not proving to be so good – I can only surmise that
Reading Football Club problems rub off on their supporters of
which Mr Morecroft is one. So, happy with a win, next Marco played
Milo. If there was a backgame match this evening this was it – I
think every game became a backgame which caused Marco a jovial or
troubled comment while Milo played but didn’t voice as drummers
usually do. The match just went the drummer’s way. I mention this
string of matches because it highlights well just how many matches
one can play in during a Bg in London evening even if the dice are
not cooperating. If we had run a Main and Consolation Marco would
have played 50% less matches during the evening.
Peter Bennet got back to winning ways by winning T1. T2 final went
to a roll-off; John B rolled a 2,1 and Mourad rolled a 3,1. In T3
Toma racked up his first Bg in London tournament win; bravo, Phil
Churton’s night came good as he won T4, T5 was won by Andreas to
maintain his impressive form, Alan B won the T6 roll-off, George S
won the 4 player T7 and Graham R won the 4 player T8.
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